Paper cutting machine



July 13, 1965 A. JoANNEs ETAL 3,194,097

PAPER CUTTING MACHINE Filed April 29, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INV ENTORS July 13, 1965 A. ,JoANNEs ETAL PAPER CUTTING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 29, 1960 INVENTORS- Foule/W5?, Bygwfy@ ATTORNEYS July 13, 1965 A. JOANNES ETAL PAPER CUTTING MACHINE Filed April 29, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEYS United States Patent O This invention relates to machinery for cutting sheets of paper, or equivalent flexible sheet material, along prescribed lines. It is especially though not exclusively ap- `plicable to the cutting of elongated paper strips along both longitudinal and transverse lines thereof as for cutting out rectangular printed frames as are obtained, eg.

t in photographic printing processes.

In photographic printing processes the prints are often obtained in the form of rectangular frames sequentially distributed along a continuous web of printing paper, and due to the inherent operation of the photographic machines used, the frames are not positioned in a uniform, registering manner along the sheet; rather, they are more .or less irregularly positioned with the successive longitudinal edges of the frames forming a discontinuous, broken line along the sheet. Besides, the successive frames are frequently of irregular dimensions. This is illustrated in FIG. l of the accompanying drawings. i

Because of these conditions, diiiiculty has been experienced in providing neat, regularly cut prints. In many cases the prints are delivered in an irregularly cut manner. Where neat presentation is required, the cutting operations had to be performed by hand by means of scissors, anvil-cutters, or guillotine or trimmer devices. Such cutting operations are necessarily discontinuous and are tedious, time-consuming and of limited accuracy.`

Moreover, in various fields of engineering it is desired t0 print drawings of considerable length, such as the longitudinal sections and outlines of ships, railway tracks, roads, power lines and the like. In such cases a single printed frame may be severai dozen yards long (see FIG. 2 of the drawings). The neat and regular cutting and trimming of the longitudinal sides of a print of this kind has been an extremely long and tedious business.

lt is therefore an object of this invention to provide `improved means for cutting sheets along prescribed lines considerably more quickly, neatly and accurately than was heretofore possible. An object is to provide means for selectively cutting a sheet along prescribed lines thereon extending both in generally longitudinal and generally transverse directions, and hence to provide means ideally suited for cutting out rectangular frames from a continuous sheet of photographic printing paper or the like.

A further object is to provide a paper-cutting machine which may be power-operated so as to increase the output rate to a maximum, and minimize operator fatigue, while remaining at `all times during operation amenable to quick, easy and accurate manual control for altering the directions in which the cuts are effected, as may be required in order to pass from one line of the sheet to another line angled with respect to the first, and in order to correct for some unwanted deviation of the paper due i to `carelessness on the part of the operator or to some other cause. Other objects are to provide such a machine that will be simple and inexpensive to construct, operate and service, and relatively foolproof so as to be successfully operable byuntrained personnel. V

In one aspect of the invention there is provided a Inai `chine for cutting sheets of paper or similar sheet material `along prescribed lines under manual control, which comprises a `work table, longitudinal cutting means, and feed means `for controllably feeding a sheet over the table ice through said cutting means to be cut thereby along a prescribed `line, which feed means comprise a pair of rotatable rollers engageable along a common generatrix, one of the rollers being driven in a direction to advance a sheet engaged between said rollers through said cutting means and the other roller being idle, and means for biassing said rollers against each other under a moderate force such as to allow the sheet to be selectively shifted to control the angular orientation of the sheet during its advance through the cutting means.

According to an important aspect of the invention, the cutting means are preferably provided in the form of cooperating circumferential cutters rotated in reverse directions so that the peripheries'thereof define a cutting area, an-d said feed rollers are mounted coaxially with said cutters so that their common generatrix is aligned with and closely spaced from said cutting area. Preferably moreover, the biassing force urging the feed rollers into engagement with each other is the force of gravity acting on an upper, idle, one of the pair of feed rollers.

The above and further objects, aspects and features of the invention will appear as the disclosure proceeds with reference to an exemplary embodiment of the improved cutting machine and wherein: t

`FIGS. l and 2 are small-scale views illustrating strips of photographic printing paper with different types of frames thereon as already described, and serve to illus- `trate the usefulness of the invention in a preferred application thereof;

FG. 3 is a perspective view, with parts broken away and others omitted, showing the general arrangement of one form of the improved machine;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the stationary longitudinal cutting and feeding assembly, positioned generally on the right hand side of the machine in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a similar view of the movable cutting and feeding assembly, positioned generally centrally of the machine in FIG. 3; i

FIG. 6 is a simplified perspective viewillustrating means slideways for guiding a sliding carriage C for reciproca` tory displacement across said frame in the directions indicated by arrows Fl and F2. The carriage C comprises a vertical wall member 4 parallel to the sidewalls 1 and 2 iitted with guide sleeves secured thereto and slidably received about the tubular ways 3. v

Means are provided for manuallyadjusting the position of the carriage C across the frame and such means here comprise a rack member 6 extending across the `frame parallel to the members 3 and meshing with a gear 7 secured on a shaft 8 journalled insuitable bearing means such as l0 supported `from the carriage wall. The shaft it projects beyond the bearing It@ positioned on the front side of the machine and carries a handwheel 9 for manually displacing the carriage. p

A pair of parallel shafts l1 and 12 extend rotatably through the carriage wall 4 and are positioned in a common `vertical plane parallel to the ways 3, the two shafts being symmetrically positioned respectively above `and below a horizontal midplane P which contains the upper surface of a worktable 13. The shafts 1l and 12 are driven simultaneously at a common velocity but in reverse directions (as indicated .by `arrows f-l and `-Z) Vable wall 4.

lines, the sheet is supported on worktable 13 and is fed in the direction shown by arrow f3 by two respective feeder assemblies each comprising a pair of rollers, respectively mounted on the stationary wall 2 and adjust- In each feeder assembly, the lower roller of the pair is power-driven while the upper roller is idle, and acts simply as a presser roller biassed into engagementl with the lower roller by gravity. As the sheet is fed, it is simultaneously cut by two cutter assemblies, each comprising a pair of interengaging circumferen- `tial cutters, the respective cutter assemblies being Vmounted adjacent to and coaxially with the respective "feeder assemblies.

'right hand ends supported in wall 2 by bearing 20 and 21 including bearing balls 22. Similar bearing means not 'shown are provided for supporting the remote ends of the shafts on the outer side of wall 1.

The pair of feeder rollers and associated pair of cutters 'mounted on stationary wall 2 will rst be described.

The circular cutters are shown at 23 and 28. Upper `cutter 23 is secured by screws 24 to an end flange 25 of `a sleeve 26 adjustably secured around shaft 11 with set screw 27. Lower cutter 28 of generally similar but reverse shape is resiliently mounted by'way ofthe spring- `carrying screws shown, on a presser roller 29 secured around the shaft 12 with a set screw 3f); roller 29 forms -the lower of the aforementioned pair of feed rollers. The two cutters 23 and 28 are in engagement at A which constitutes what is here termed the cutting area. It is noted that the cutting area A lies on a plane coplanar with the rectified inner surface 19 of wall 2 as earlier indicaed.

Mounted around sleeve 26 with a substantial amount of radial clearance j, so as to be freely displaceable vertically by a limited amount, is the feed roller 31 equal in outer diameter to presser roller 29. The arrangement isseen to be such that the presser roller 31 normally rests under its own weight on the feed roller 29 along a generatrix 32 which is positioned on the same plane P as that containing the upper surface of worktable 13 and equispaced from both shafts 11 and 12. This contact generatrix 32 is substantially aligned with the cutting area A and said cutting area is positioned only a short distance from the end of said generatrix. Such radial clearance also allows the roller 31 to have its axis displaced angularly to a slight extent with respect to the axis of roller 29. It will be noted that the pair of circumferential cutters one of which is spring-mounted constitute a self-sharpening arrangement of a type known per se.

A retainer ring 33 holding the set screw 27 serves to retain the roller 31 around the sleeve 26 with a degree of axial as well as radial clearance.

A paper sheet will thus be advanced in the direction of arrow f3 by the rotation of the block or roller 29 (FIG. 4) which rotation is effected in the direction of arrow f-l, as soon as the leading end of the strip has been inserted under the presser roller 31. This latter rollerV in fact only serves as an idle presser or paperweight rotated tangentially by the roller 29 or the paper strip.

Simultaneously, the sheet is engaged 'by the cutter to the sheet.

.cutter 39 therein.

discs 23 and 28 the cutting edges of which act as the forwardly-open arms of a pair of scissors. The paper sheet is thus cut longitudinally as though it were pulled across the cutters from both sides. Actually, it will be understood that the paper is not pulled along both sides of the cutting area but only along one side of it, i.e. at generatrix 32. The effect is, however, the same as if it were pulled along both sides of the area since the pulling force is exerted on the paper sheet to a point very close to the cutting area and, moreover, the long generatrix 32 imparts suicient rigidity to the paper to allow of its being pulled along one side only.

It will be observed (as already mentioned) that the cutting edge of the Cutters 23 and 281ies exactly in the same plane as the plane 19 of the machined inner surface of sidewall 2. For this purpose, the cutter 23 is mounted within a circular recess 34 formed in sidewall 2 and having a slightly larger diameter than the cutter disc.

The cut-olf scraps of paper are discharged to the right (as here shown) of the cutting plane thus defined. 1n the absence of special precautions, the scraps, owing to Ythe rigidity of the paper and especially its curling tendency, would tend to produce a tear in the paper in an area immediately ahead of the cutting area and, moreover, would generate strains in said area which would result in deiecting the strip from its proper line of feed. T o obviate these conditions, the discharge of the scraps is controlled, and for this purpose the sidewall 2 is formed with a cutout 35, see adjacent the cutting plane, serving to guide the scraps along paths positioned substantially in the plane 19, somewhat displaced vertically with respect As the cut-out printed frame advances along the plane 19, the scrap enters a recessed area'where- -in the sidewall 2 is reduced to a very small thickness over -an area 37 several centimeters in length. Beyond this `area the thickness of the sidewall increases graduallyY along the direction F3 in which the strip is fed, as is shown in area 38 (PEG. 36) beyond area 37. The paper scrap is thus gradually pushed to one side as indicated by arrow f4 and its rigidity in thehorizontal plane by `this means reduced to a negligible value, so that it will Vwith a presser roller 44, and a resiliently-mounted lower cutter 42 mounted on a lower feed roller 43. The general lay-out of these components with respect to the wall 4 is generally the same as the lay-out of the first-described cutter and presser assembly with respect to sidewall 2. Thus, a recess 4S is formed in wall 4 for receiving the An incline 46 is similarly provided for controlling the discharge of the scrap. A retainer ring 47 and a spacer ring 48 serve to restrict the lateral displacements of roller 44 on sleeve 41.

The positionable cutter and feeder assembly Adiffers mainly from the stationary cutter and feeder assembly in the fact that the crosswall 4 must be allowed to reciprocate as indicated by F1 and F2 whereas the sidewall 2 was of course stationary. lFor this purpose, the sleeve 41 is driven in rotation by way of a drive stud 49 slidable in a groove 5t) formed longitudinally in shaft 11. Simila r l y the roller 43 is driven in rotation by way of a drive stud 51 slidably engaging a longitudinal groove 52 in -shaft 12.

Flangcd bearing sleeves 53 and 54 secured to sidewall 4 by way of screws 55, and end rings 56 and 57 surrounding extensions 58 and 59 of the sleeves 41 and 43, provide for a bilateral connection of said sleeves with respect to the slidable crosswall 4 while permitting rotation of said sleeves.

The stationary and movable cutter and feeder assemblies thus described, are operated as follows in the longitudinal cutting of a paper sheet corresponding in width with the spacing of the machined surfaces 18 and i9 of walls 2 and 4. The sheet is inserted under the presser rollers 31 and 44 and is allowed to unroll of its own accord while simply taking care that the correct orientation of the sheet is maintained at all times. It will be observed that, since the sheet is free to move in its plane, the opererator is well able to correct any tendency of the paper to deviate from its proper course. This is because the pressure applied to the sheet by the presser rollers along generatrices 32 and 6?, while strong enough to impart the desired positive feed movement to the paper, is of such character as to allow the paper to be shifted as desired by manual action and to slip when this is required. This is an important feature of the device. Thus, if the idle presser rollers 31 and d4 described above were replaced with rollers positively driven from shaft lil, it would not be possible for the operator to control the orientation angle of the sheet when inserted into the feed mechanism, or to alter such orientation, should this become necessary at any time during the feed due to some disturbance. Any error in orientation or deviation of the sheet would thus become larger and larger as the feed proceeds,` since there would be no way of disengaging the sheet from the machine other than to feed it entirely through the machine.

The defect just noted was largely present in conventional types of paper feed systems. Even a single pair of feed rollers of such conventional type on one side of the strip would normally prevent a shifting and rotation of the paper in its plane owing to the linear Contact between the feed rollers.

The drive motor 14 is preferably controlled by way of a pedal and the control desirably includes conventional means for conveniently varying the speed of the motor by pedal action. It is convenient for the operator to reduce the drive speed on initial insertion of sheet into the feed mechanism so as to permit readier control of the angle of insertion as by imparting sideways shifts or jerks to the sheet until thecorrect angle has been found, and then increase the drive velocity to take advantage of the high output speed the improved machine permits. Practical experience has shown that the deviations and disturbances normally sustained by the strip during its feed in the machine of the invention are so very small that a moderately skillful operator after only a brief period of training is able to correct them while maintaining maximum feed velocity.

lt will be noted that when the operator shifts the sheet sideways by finger action in one or the other direction to alter its direction of feed, the sheet will rotate about a pivotal centre positioned on generatrix 32 or 66. The actual displacement of the paper in the cutting area A is very small. This permits of an accurate correction of any small deviation and obviates the operators tendency to overcompensate Since the cutting area is largely concealed from the operator by the parts of the mechanism, indexing means are preferably provided whereby the operator will be able to monitor the proper operation. Thus, as shown in FfGS. 3 and 7, an elongated member or rulcr 62, preferably made of transparent material is mounted on the machine table 13 across the path of feed of the paper which passes under the lower surface of the ruler, and is marked with an index scale 63, including a longer index marker 6l positioned in alignment with the stationary cutting plane t9. in use, the operator is required simply to observe one longitudinal line of the frame along which the cut is to be made and see that such line consistently coincides with the marker 61. This feature makes possible very fast operation, since the operator need simply apply lateral linger pressure` to a side of the sheet whenever he notes that the prescribed line along which the cut is to be made is tending to deviate from the marker. While the marker 6l has been shown as marked directly on the ruler surface, it may desirably be provided on a slide shiftable along the ruler so as to permit readier control when it is desired to cut the strip along a longitudinal direction offset by a desired margin from a line marked on the strip. The scale 63 further permits convenient registering of the width dimension by which the movable wail 4E- should be spaced from the fixed Wall 2 in accordance with different widths of paper sheet fed through the machine. For this purpose the scale markings 63 are preferably referred to a Zero mark positioncd on the cutting plane 19.

Further, there is preferably provided a iiexible tape measure 6d having its free end attached to the movable wall 4 and its other end attached to a reel, not shown, contained in a small casing 65 mounted on the remote side of stationary wall 2, spring means being provided for urging the tape to its reeled-up condition within the casing. The zero mark of the tape may be provided to register with the plane 18 of crosswall 4. Thus, on displacement of the carriage C to any position, the exact spacing between the cutting planes 1S and 19 can immediately be read off the tape measure. i

Means may also be provided according to the invention for performing transverse cuts across the sheet of paper to complete the cutting-out of the frames therein. The transverse cutting mechanism in the embodiment shown is supported upon a cross-member "70, shown as a T-section, extending across the rear base side of the machine and contributing to stiffen the frame thereof. The vertical ange 71 of the member 'i supports the transverse cutter mechanism now which will not be described in detail since it forms no part of the invention claimed herein. i

It will be noted that the worktable 13 is extended rightward well beyond the sidewall 2. This is in. order to allow for a considerable excess width of paper along one side of the frames and to permit feeding the entire sheet under the member 62.

As shown in FIG. 3,`a cross member 99 in the form of an inverted V is positioned across the table somewhat beyond the forward edge thereof to facilitate insertion of the paper sheet while imparting some lateral rigidity to it.

A pivoted cover or hood lib@ is preferably provided.

It will be apparent that various modifications may be made in the structural details described an-d shown while remaining within the scope of the invention. Thus the slide 75 instead of being actuatedby means of a manual knob acting on an endless cable or belt such as 9i), may be power-operated by means of an additional motor mounted on one side of the frame and acting through reducer gearing on the belt drive shown, or through a screwshaft drive for example. Various other modifications will be readily apparent.

What we claim is: i

1. In a machine for` cutting fexible sheets along prescribed lines, the combination comprising a pair of circumferential cutters rotatable about spaced parallel axes and having their peripheries cooperating at a cutting area, a feed roller mounted coaxially with and adjacent to one cutter for rotation therewith, another roller mounted above, substantially coaxially with and adjacent to the other cutter and freely rotatable relative thereto, the other roller being freely displaceable both axially, transversely with respect to the common plane of said parallel axes, and towards and away from said first rollerl and normally engageable with first roller along a common generatrix generally aligned with said cutting area, means biasing said other roller into engagement with said first roller, and means for rotating said cutters and feed. roller, whereby a sheet inserted between said rollers will be fed thereby and cut by said cutters while permitting controlled enclins? shifting of said sheet between said rollers to align the cut with a prescribed line on the sheet.

I 2. In a machine for cutting ilexible sheets along prescribed lines, the combination comprising lower and upper spaced rotatable shafts, a feed roller xedly mounted on said lower shaft, an idler roller freely mounted on the upper shaft with a substantial radial clearance so as normally to be biased by gravity into engagement with the feed roller along a common generatrix while it is freely displaceable by a limited amount with respect to the axis of the feed roller both transversely with respect to the common plane of said parallel axes and towards and away from the axis of the feed roller and said idler roller is axially displaceable, a pair of circumferential cutters mounted on the respective shafts for rotation therewith and having their peripheries cooperating at a cutting zone aligned with and closely spaced from an end of said common generatrix, power means rotatoing said driven roller 3. In a machine for cutting sheets of flexible material along prescribed lines under manual control, a work table, longitudinal cutting means, and feed means for controllably feeding a sheet over the table through said cutting means to be cut thereby along a prescribed line, said feed means comprising a power-driven roller and an idle rotatable roller normally engageable along a common generatrix, said idler roller being mounted above the feed roller, being freely displaceable both axially, transversely with respect to the common plane of said parallel axes, and towards and away from said rst roller and normally engageable with said irst roller along a common geneatrix, power means rotating said driven roller in a direction to advance a sheet engaged between said `rollers through said cutting means, and means for biasing said idle roller against said driven roller so as to allow the sheet to be selectively shifted to control the angular orientation of the sheet during its advance through the cutter means.

4. In a machine for cutting flexible sheets along prescribed lines, the combination comprising two generally similar assemblies each comprising: a pair of circumferential cutters rotatable in opposite directions about spaced axes and having their peripheries cooperating at a cutting area, a feed roller mounted coaxially with one cutter for rotation therewith, an idler roller mounted coaxially with the outer cutter and freely rotatable relative thereto, the axis of said idler roller being freely displaceable both axially, transversely with respect to the common plane of said parallel axes, and towards and away from said rst roller and engageable therewith along a common generatrix, and means biasing said idler roller into engagement with said first roller, said respective assemblies being mounted so that said respective cutting areas thereof are aligned, and means for adjustably displacing one assembly bodily towards and away from the other as- CTL sembly for simultaneously cutting said sheet along two parallel lines spaced an adjustable distance apart.

- 5. In a machine for cutting exible sheets along prescribed lines the combination comprising lower and upper spaced rotatable shafts, a pair of assemblies each comprising a feed roller mounted on said lower shaft for rotation therewith, an idler roller freely mounted on the upper shaft with radial and axial clearance so as normally to be biased by gravity into engagement with the feed roller along a common generatrix while the axis is angularly displaceable by a limited amount with respect to the axis of the feed roller, and a pair of circumferential cutters mounted on the respective shafts for rotationV therewith and having their peripheries cooperating at a cutting zone, means fixedly mounting one of said assemblies on said machine and means mounting the other of said assemblies for adjustable bodily displacement along said shafts toward and away from said first assembly, and means for rotating said shafts.

6. The machine claimed in claim 1, including stationary guide means beyond said circumferential cutters shaped to gradually deform scraps cut off from said sheet by said cutters prior to discharging said scraps out of the machine.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 108,891 11/70 Denny 83-407 262,731 8/82 Briggs 83-408 487,621 12/92 Hidden 83-408 527,051 10/94 Cramby 83-488 5 34,000 2/ 95 Nicolai 83441 595,092 12/97 BoSley 83-165 668,945 2/01 Allen 83--497 794,06() 7/05 Uzel 83-407 943,221 12/09 Engberg 83-614 976,949 11/ 10 Tucker 83-614 1,143,187 6/15 Green 83-560 1,167,435 1/ 16 Robertson 83-520 1,172,831 2/16 Porter 83-418 1,315,340 9/19 Scully 83-430 2,035,946 3/36 Cummings 83-408 2,506,610 5/50 Mueller 83-520 2,747,664 5/56 Corson 83-408 2,978,161 4/ 61 Debrie 226-183 FOREIGN PATENTS 984,831 7/51 France. 500,895 2/ 39 Great Britain.

50,207 1/ 10 Switzerland.

ANDREW R. JUHASZ, Primary Examiner.

CARL W. TOMLlN, WILLIAM W. DY ER, In.,

HUNTER C. BGRNE, JR., Examiners. 

1. IN A MACHINE FOR CUTTING FLEXIBLE SHEETS ALONG PRESCRIBED LINES, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A PAIR OF CIRCUMFERENTIAL CUTTERS ROTATABLE ABOUT SPACED PARALLEL AXES AND HAVING THEIR PERIPHERIES COOPERATING AT A CUTTING AREA, A FEED ROLLER MOUNTED COAXIALLY WITH AND ADJACENT TO ONE CUTTER FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, ANOTHER ROLLER MOUNTED ABOVE, SUBSTANTIALLY COAXIALLY WITH AND ADJACENT TO THE OTHER CUTTER AND FREELY ROTATABLE RELATIVE THERETO, THE OTHER ROLLER BEING FREELY DISPLACEABLE BOTH AXIALLY, TRANSVERSELY WITH RESPECT TO THE COMMON PLANE OF SAID PARALLEL AXES, AND TOWARDS AND AWAY FROM SAID FIRST-ROLLER AND NORMALLY ENGAGEBLE WITH FIRST ROLLER ALONG A COMMON GENERATRIX GENERALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID CUTTING AREA, MEANS BIASING SAID OTHER ROLLER INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FIRST ROLLER, AND MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID CUTTERS AND FEED ROLLER, WHEREBY A SHEET INSERTED BETWEEN SAID ROLLERS WILL BE FED THEREBY AND CUT BY SAID CUTTERS WHILE PERMITTING CONTROLLED SHIFTING OF SAID SHEET BETWEEN SAID ROLLERS TO ALIGN THE CUT WITH A PRESCRIBED LINE ON THE SHEET. 